A Christian’s Thoughts on the Late Fred Phelps

The late Fred Phelps, founder of the institute known as Westboro Baptist Church, was a favorite target of tabloids and religious headhunters because of his outspoken views of major issues such as homosexuality and sin.

Phelps and his institute – not church – is linked to Christianity because of his frequent use of the words God and sin and hell. When, in serious conversation with evangelicals, it would not be uncommon for unbelievers to make Pheps-like references about God and sin that had been made popular by the mainstream media.

Folks, let us be clear here. FRED PHELPS DID NOT PROMOTE CHRISTIANITY NOR THE BIBLE. HE PROMOTED HIMSELF AND HIS HATE WHICH IS COUNTERINTUITIVE TO THE CHRISTIAN AGENDA.

I’m not looking for a Get Out of Jail Free card. I’m not trying to break ties between Phelps and Christians because he’s dead now. Any true Bible believing Christian never stood with Fred Phelps because he did not speak the truth – and he certainly did not speak in love.

As you will see in the article by Dr. Albert Mohler below, you will learn that Phelps actually made Christians’ work much, much harder than it needed to be. Please read the article and pass it along to your friends who link Phelps with Christianity.

It’s time to set the record straight and make very clear that Christians do not wish damnation on sinners as Phelps clearly did, and pray that everyone finds salvation in Jesus Christ.

Fred Phelps is dead. The fire-and-brimstone preacher, who for many years was pastor of the institution known as Westboro Baptist Church, died late Wednesday in a hospice in Topeka, Kansas. The announcement was made on his church’s website. The wording was simple: “Fred W. Phelps Sr. has gone the way of all flesh.” Thus brings to an end one of most bitters lives in modern history — and one of the most harmful to the Gospel.

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You’re right – secularists eat this stuff up, and honestly, a part of me does, too, because I love drama and finding reasons to get fired up, even if for the wrong reasons. So I can’t blame the media for coddling that guy.

I have watched a couple of documentaries about this man and his suffering family. My sympathy goes to those he indoctrinated with his particular brand of evil. I know they have lost a father, husband and mentor, but now is the time for good people to embrace those poor lost ones and show them the joy of Christ’s teachings and God’s love for all of us, they will be surprised at how good life can be.

Great post. I agree with you. He and his organization didn’t represent the Christians I’ve come to know or the words I’ve read in the bible. Christians in a relationship with God would never condone his kind of hatred. God is love.

I agree that he didn’t speak for Christians…but how often are we just as guilty of slaying our own because they are broken or messy? People are shunned (if not officially by many churches at least socially within their doors) for being addicted, lifestyle choices or homeless…as though they have a contagious disease. I may not agree with all their choices but God doesn’t always agree with mine either. It is time the church apply the salve of Jesus on the broken and quit pretending be the saints and judges we aren’t. I’ve always been told that we can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

I used to be a Christian. I used to need that in my life. I’ve moved past that need. Don’t get me wrong. I will never tell someone that they’re wrong or weak for wanting or needing to believe in whichever god or religion. It’s not up to me to dictate anyone else’s path in life. I absolutely believe that we can steer our own course, but we have no right to be a back-seat driver for anyone else’s journey. As someone who knows what The Bible teaches, I’m constantly amazed that Fred Phelps and his cult of hatred is associated with Christianity. I’m perplexed as to why the entirety of Christianity doesn’t just shun that awful group. For that matter, Fred Phelps and his ilk should be shunned by all of humanity. But I digress. Christians are tasked with spreading the gospel to all the four corners of the earth. The word gospel means ‘good news’. And Christians are also told that if someone doesn’t accept the gospel, they are to dust their feet and move on to where the gospel might be accepted. Telling people that God Hates Fags is the antithesis of the good news. The good news is that Jesus paid for your sin, and that you can still be forgiven. The good news is that it’s not too late to repent. Hell is not the good news. Telling people that they’re going to hell isn’t your job. I’m pretty sure that in this day and age, everybody and their brother (except for maybe some secluded tribe still stuck in the stone age) is well aware that The Bible teaches about hell, and who goes there. Now, it IS the task of Christians to try and save another believer from straying. You’re told to go to them directly, and express your concern over their bad choices. If they won’t listen, you’re then tasked to seek out the leadership of your church to try and help this person be grafted back on the vine. But the Bible does not ever suggest that it’s anyone’s job to preach anything other than the gospel, the good news. By that logic, one cannot connect the Westboro Baptist Church to Christianity. It is the antithesis of what Christianity should be. This cult simply needs to be shunned. If people just ignored them, they wouldn’t continue to have a platform to preach their cruelty. I know that’s a hard thing to fathom, but I think it’s something that can be accomplished.